Disney Names New Cruise Line President

April 21, 2018

The Walt Disney Company has created a new division for Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club and Adventures by Disney.

Jeff Vahle has been named president of the new entity, Disney Signature Experiences. He will oversee the cruise line, the vacation time-share operation, the travel guide company as well as Disney’s Hawaii resort Aulani.

Vahle takes over after Anthony Connelly, who was president of Disney Cruise Lines since last fall, when he took over after Karl Holz who retired.

Disney Cruise Line currently sails four ships: the sister ships Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, which launched service in 1998 and 1999, and the large Dream and Fantasy, which began sailing in 2011 and 2012.

The cruise line’s next generation of ships are due in 2021, 2022 and 2023. At 140,000 tons, they will be larger than the 130,000-ton Dream and Fantasy, but will have the same number of staterooms: 1,250. The new ships will be powered by LNG.